Although fewer children today are at risk for being exposed to porn and unwanted sexual advances over the internet than they were five years ago, it is still important for parents to make sure that children with internet access are educated and aware of the dangers of online interaction with the wrong sort of person.
Since by legal definition a person age 17 or younger is considered a child, there are different levels of what constitutes acceptable online and internet chat behavior. While laws concerning porn and the transmission of pornographic images to or containing minors are across-the-board, there is little debate on the legality of porn when it concerns children. But older teenagers, while still considered children under the law, are going to naturally be more curious about porn and other sexual content online than their younger counterparts, and might intentionally seek out their idea of porn on the internet.
In the nearly uncensored world of the internet, unwary porn-seekers
have the potential to inadvertently expose themselves to much more than they bargained for – everything from extreme hardcore porn to chat or email contact with a sexual predator. Though many parents may not want to deal with the reality of their own child’s sexuality, as parents they have a responsibility to educate their children and lay ground rules as to what is and isn’t safe and acceptable internet activity. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recommends parents take the following actions to keep their children from biting off more than they can chew:
- Communicate with children about the risks of sexual victimization on the internet.
- Spend time browsing the internet with your children and have them show you their favorite websites. Decide if the websites are appropriate for your child.
- Keep the computer in a common room in the house, not in your child’s bedroom. It is much more difficult for a potential online predator to communicate with a child when the computer screen is visible to other members of the household.
- Utilize parental controls and/or blocking software. Use of chat rooms, in particular, should be heavily monitored. While parents should utilize these mechanisms, they should not totally rely on them.
- Always maintain access to your child’s online account and
randomly check his/her e-mail. Be aware that your child could be
contacted through the U.S. Mail. Be up front with your child about your
access and reasons why. - Teach your child the responsible use of internet resources. There is much more to the internet experience than chat rooms.
- Find out which computer safeguards are utilized by your child’s school, the public library, and at the homes of your child’s friends. These are all places where, outside your normal supervision, your child could encounter an online predator.
- Understand that even if your child was a willing participant
in any form of sexual exploitation that he/she is not at fault and is
the victim. The offender always bears the complete responsibility for
his or her actions.
In addition, parents should instruct children to:
- Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met on the internet.
- Never upload pictures of themselves onto the internet or send pictures to people they do not personally know.
- Never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name, or telephone number.
- Never download pictures from an unknown source, as there is a good chance it could be porn or other explicit images.
- Never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing.
Providing an open channel of communication with children is especially important, so that children feel they can ask for help in the event they receive porn or other solicitation from an unknown source; if children are made to feel embarrassed or shamed by such contact, they might be less likely to report it. Some signs that a child might be engaging in risky behavior on the internet include:
- Your child spends large amounts of time on the internet, especially at night, and particularly in chat rooms.
- You find porn on your child’s computer.
- Your child receives phone calls from a person you don’t know or is making calls, sometimes long distance, to numbers you don’t recognize.
- Your child receives mail, gifts, or packages from someone you don’t know.
- Your child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen on the monitor when you come into the room.
- Your child becomes withdrawn from the family.
- Your child is using an on-line account belonging to someone else, such as a computer at the library or at a friend’s house.
If your child has received pornographic images involving children from a third party or has been sexually solicited or received porn of any type from a user who knows the child is under age 18, the FBI recommends the following steps be taken:
- Contact local or state law enforcement agency, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
- Keep the computer turned off in order to preserve any evidence for law enforcement use.
- Do not attempt to copy any of the images and/or text found on the
computer unless directed to do so by the law enforcement agency.
It is important to note that, despite the myriad threats to children on the internet, from porn to sexual solicitation, a knee-jerk reaction such as banning children from using the internet is not a practical or effective long-term solution. As with any danger in the offline world, internet threats are best dealt with directly. Parents should work to educate their children about the risks of internet society and teach appropriate, realistic methods to avoid and combat threats posed by predators, porn, and unwanted solicitation.